Phuket’s tourism revenues continue to grow and with 13 new public infrastructure projects including the much talked about light rail either under construction or set to begin soon, the future is looking good for the island.
The Central Government continues to focus resources that support the island’s development as it is seen as a way to generate increased revenue for the region and country as a whole. The government has also implemented several polices to achieve this goal including the recently announced moves to support growth in the yachting industry.
Phuket has more than 500 hotels, an international airport and many popular tourist attractions and activities that have helped build and sustain the thriving tourist industry. With its mix of business and leisure facilities the region has become popular with FIT travellers as well as incentive groups.
“The number of visitors to Phuket Island continues to grow year-on-year and recently we have seen a change in the demographics with more than 50 percent of visitors to Phuket today coming from Asian countries,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chavanee Tongroach, vice minister of Tourism and Sports, said in a press release. “Phuket is well-known around the world as a leading leisure destination and with ongoing infrastructure development and the expansion of Phuket International Airport, Phuket will be able to manage future growth effectively.”
At the moment, Phuket is Thailand’s top tourism destination outside of Bangkok and is the leading beach destination in Asia. It is estimated that nearly six million visitors arrive to the island each year. Phuket has a large number of beaches, nearby islands and seascapes that have made it a worldwide tourism destination.
Phuket is well known for being a leisure location but it is growing in popularity with business travellers as well. Over 60 percent of business travelers to the region come for exhibitions and events in Thailand. Many of these guests are coming from within Asia and officials are hoping that AEC integration helps increase Phuket’s popularity with the business sector.
